Method of producing a flaming or luminous arc.



J. L. R. HAYDEN.

METHOD OF PRODUCING A FLAMING 0R LUMINOUS ARC.

APPLICATION FILED APR-25, 19H- Patented July 41, 1916.

Contains steacfylhy maif'er/al.

I Contains lilg'ht y'iviny matrial.

III/77 111555155: JZYVENTUH 2., Z JOSEPH LH.HAYZ7EAZ, ZZZ; We ATTUHNEx Y UNITED STATES PATENT omen i JOSEPH- L. (It. HAYDEN, orscHENEoTAnY, NEW YORK, AssIeNoR- To GENERAL ELECTRIC ooMrANY, A GORPORATIQN or NEW 203x.

I METHOD or PRODUCING A FLAMINQ' on LumNous ARC.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH L. R. HArnEN,

light is emitted from the arc itself asdistinguished from the incandescent tips of the electrodes as in the case when plain carbon electrodes are used with direct currents. In

a flaming or luminous arc, therefore, even though the arc remains steady, any variation in the amount of light-producing vapors in the arc will cause an objectionable corresponding variation in the light emitted from the lamp. Now it has been found that many of the materials which produce the best light in a lamp of the character de scribed give an are which is long and thin and very'unsteady, this being particularly true of titanium and titanium compounds, which are among the bestmaterials for pro ducing a flamingor luminous arc. In order to give to the arc reasonable steadiness, it becomes necessary to use in conjunction with the light-giving material a material that operates to steady the arc, and. this has hitherto been done by admixing such steadying material with the light-giving material.

- Such steadying materials fatten the arc and make it more conductive, and thereby make the arc steady. At the same time such steadying materials are more easily fusible and vaporiz able than are the best light-- producing materials, such asmetallic titanium, titanium carbid,and other titanium not enter uniformly intothe are when they compounds, with the result that such steadying materials when mixed with the light- Specification of Letters Iatent. Application filed April 25, 1911. Serial 119562 3386.

the color of the light the are, thereby fattening Patented'July 4, 191a.

- material at the arcing surface. The result of all this is that the proportion between the amount of vapors from the material and from. the steadying material does not renialn constant in the arc, and there is a wide variationbetweenthe intenlight-giving sity or the color or both the intensity and J from the two materials, this variation depending upon the character of the materials used; and, although the arc remains reasonably steady, the light emitted therefrom is unsteady. I find, for lnstance, that an electrode made of titanium carbidand calcium fluorid gives.

a very efficient and fairly steady arc, but the light emitted therefrom is unsteady, -fluctuating between the white titanium light and the yellow calcium light. I have found that I can produce a steady arc and at the same time keep the light emitted therefrom steady in a lamp of the character described by introducing the lightgiving vapors to the arc from one of the electrodes and the steadying material from the other electrode.

While not limited thereto, my invention is particularly applicable to circuits in which alternatingcurrents are used,- inwhich case during one-half periodof the alternating current the electrode containing the lightgiving material furnishes the vapors of such material for the arc, while during the other 'half'period of the current the other elec trode furnishes the steadying material for the arc and giving Conductivity to the same.

In its more specific aspects, therefore, my invention comprises the process of introducing a light-producing material into the arc from one electrode and a steadyingmaterial from another electrode as well" as the combination of two such. electrodes. In its broader aspects, however,'it coversthe introduction of any two materials into the are which do issue together .from the same electrode.

I have shown one embodiment of my invention in'the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of the electrodes between which the arc is formed, and Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the electrode which contains the light-giving material.

In the drawings, in which for the purposes of illustration I have shown the electrodes-axially alined, 1 is the electrode conf taining the light-giving material and 2 the electrode containing the steadying material.

Theielectrode 1 may conveniently be-made of abody portion 3 oftitanium carbidl, as pure asit is practicable to produce, inclosed ,within a thin iron shell ,4. The cooperating electrode 2may be made of carbon impreg- 1 nated with a solution of steadying material,

- v. iueodea derstood, of course, thatmore than one lightproducing material, if desired, may be" introduced from one electrode and that more than one steadying material may be introduced tothe arc from'the other electrode.

.- I have .also described my invention as -particularly'applicable to systems on which alternating currents are used, but it isto ibe understood that I my invention is not such-as potassium biborate, and then dried;

When the steadymgmaterial'isa salt of analkalimetal, I preferably impregnate. the carbon electrode with a solution such that the finished electrode will contain approximately one per cent. of the steadying'salt. It isto be understood, however, that I am not confined to such percentage, as I may use more or less of the steadying salt and still produce a useful electrode, nor is this'specific method of impregnating the electrode a f allic titanium and titanium compounds as materials particularly suitable as light-giving materials for the purpose of my invention, it is to be understood that it .is not,

limited to suchmaterials, but covers my light-producing material of a more or less A refractory nature. Furthermore,""-while I have named potassium 'biborate as a specific example of a steadying compound, it is to be understood that any desirable steadying material may be used, and'I have especially 7 found that potassium carbonate, potassium fluorid, sodium fluorid, potassium chloridand calcium fluorid are allvaluable steadying. agents, the selection of the steadying com-' pound depending upon the characteriof light V -which is'desired and upon the character of the light-giving material in the other electrode with which the electrode'containing thesteadying material cooperates. If caliciuni fluorid, for example, is used it'will be found that it should be used in a larger percenta ethan the potassium biborate, p'referably cm 10 to 20 p Cent- It 1 Ma limited to such" stems'but maybe used in re lamps in which direct currents are employed, inwhich case the light producing material is carried; into. the are by electrd conductionwhile' the' -steadying material is earned thereto merely by; evaporation or vice versa. It is further to -be understood that while for the purposes of illustration ll have shown my invention embodied in vertically alined electrodes, it can. be used equally well with converging ones, or with any other desired arrangement of electrodes.

Anysuita le mechanism. may be employed forstrikin and regulating the arc. Such structures are Wellknown in the art and l have not deemed it necessary to describe any specific mechanism.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by LettersPatent of the United States, is, 1. The method of producing a flaming or luminous arc Whichconsists in introducing a light-giving material into the are from one electrode only and a steadying material"- from the companion electrode only. 2. The combination of a pair of electrodes of which is the sole source of light giving vapors for the arc and the other is the sole source of'steadying vapors for the same 3. The combination of a pair of electrodes for producing a luminous or flaming are, one of which contains material which is thesolesource of the light giving vapors inthe arc, and the other contains material which is the sole source of steadying vapors in the arc.

witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 24th day of April, 1911.

. JOSEPH L. R. HAYDEN. Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, HELEN ORFORD.

for producing a luminous or flaming are, one f 

